Irish Language Act - What Would It Mean? in 2015 the Then Sinn Fein Culture Minister Provided a Glimpse of What Is Involved Through Her Published Proposals

Irish Language Act - What would it mean? In 2015 the then Sinn Fein Culture Minister provided a glimpse of what is involved through her published proposals. Among these were: Irish to be an official language in Nort hern Ireland on a par with English The right to have court proceedings c onducted in Irish Affirmative action in favour of Irish speakers in recruitment to the Civil Service and other public bodies Road signs to have the Irish content on a par with English The creation of Gaeltacht areas in Northern Ireland An Irish Language Commissioner to advance the language and insist public bodies promote it with a newly created c r i m i n a l o f f e n c e of refusing or failing to co-operate with the work of the Irish Language Commissioner.

£'s & JOBS What Does that FOR THE FEW Mean for Me? NOT FOR THE MANY Discrimination against non-Irish Speakers when it comes to employment, particularly in the legal profession and the civil service. Huge cost in providing a fully bilingual public service with endless and needless expenditure on translation in courts, councils and Assembly. Alienation – Sinn Fein once described every word spoken in Irish as “another bullet in the freedom struggle”. We know they want to “break the b*******”. They seek to make those who don’t see themselves as Irish feel alienated in their own land. That’s why many people from a Unionist/Protestant background left the Irish Republic after de Valera introduced the aggressive promotion of Irish in the 1930s. Busting the Equality Myth Sinn Fein claims this is an equality issue. In reality, Irish language legislation would create gross inequality in employment and increase divisions. It is a nonsense to claim that those who speak Irish are discriminated against

Consider the facts Northern Ireland already provides Irish medium schooling at a cost of over £20m per year. An Irish medium school has even been opened with just 12 pupils. You couldn’t do that with an English language school. We already have a lavishly funded North-South body with executive powers to promote Irish. Irish street signage is already facilitated where there is local demand. Those who demand to use Irish all fluently speak English.

W A Long Standing Demand A R N of Militant Republicans IN G In the IRA Green Book, the bible of the terror group, they say: “Culturally we would hope to restore Gaelic, not from the motivation of national chauvinism but from the viewpoint of achieving with the aid of a cultural revival the distinctive new Irish Socialist State: as a Bulwark against imperialist encroachments from whatever quarter.” How clearer could it be? Sinn Fein’s demands for an Irish Language Act lie at the heart of its culture war against all things British It's time to say 'Enough is Enough' and reject the demand for an Irish Language Act. It must be resisted under any guise, including the deception that Ulster Scots could also be advanced. What can I do? Email your opposition to any Irish language legislation, however presented, to Mrs Arlene Foster: [email protected]